Summer
by AngelOfLorien
Summary: Takes place during the summer between GoF and OotP. SB x OC
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first HP fic. It takes place during the summer between Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix. I hope you enjoy!**

CHAPTER 1

Madelyn Dearborn lurched out of bed with a gasp as her fireplace exploded in a wave of green flames. Her black eyes narrowed in annoyance as she caught a glimpse of the smiling face spinning like a top within the fireplace.

"Bloody hell, Fred! Would it kill you to pick up a phone and call before you come over? A little warning would be nice, you know."

"My apologies," Fred said, brushing a bit of ash from his ginger hair.

"I can tell your sincerity by the smile you've got plastered on your face," Maddie replied, arching a brow.

Fred shrugged and began to wander about the room.

"So…what's going on?" Maddie asked as she stood up and drew on her robe.

"Nothing, which is the problem. I had to get out of that house. My mum's driving me crazy, and all the hush-hush talk is getting old. I figured I'd pop over and see my dear friend Mads."

"Pah," Maddie said with a reluctant grin. "You just want to see what kind of food I have."

"Well what good is having a dear friend in the restaurant business if you can't eat her food?" Fred asked with a wink.

Maddie laughed and shook her head. "Can't argue with that. Come on then," she said, leading him out of the room and down the stairs. "Where's that brother of yours? I thought one of you couldn't go anywhere without the other."

"He's back with Ron, probably keeping an eye on Hermione."

"He's still got a thing for Hermione, does he?"

Fred nodded and rolled his eyes. "It's a bit weird, isn't it? I mean, we've known Hermione since she was nothing but frizzy hair and big teeth."

Maddie gave a chuckle and slapped a plate in front of him. Fred took a large bite of the food before him and grinned at Maddie. "So you know, Mads…Sirius is with us."

Careful to keep her expression blank, Maddie leaned in. "Yes, I know."

"You could come back with me. Maybe catch him unawares and snog him in a closet." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"As much as I appreciate your interest in my sex life," Maddie said, her wry tone implying the opposite, "I don't think Sirius would appreciate being mauled by a sex-starved girl 12 years younger than him."

"Some people pay good money for that," Fred said, finishing his meal.

"Also, he might find it a bit strange, seeing as he and my dad were in the Order together."

"Yeah, but your dad was years older than him."

Maddie was about to reply when a whoosh and a soft thud came from the room above them.

"Oi, Fred!" George called. "Pack it up, mate. Mum's looking for you."

"Guess I better run," Fred said as he placed his plate in the sink. "Remember what I said though. A new face in our midst would be great." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Especially if it's one as pleasant as yours."

"I'll think about it," Maddie said. She jerked her head toward the stairs. "You'd better get going or your mother will have your head."

Fred flashed a smile as he jogged up the stairs and Maddie turned to wash his plate. When she had finished, she went upstairs and took a shower. She wrapped a towel around her and stood for a long time staring into the foggy bathroom mirror, angling her head this way and that, trying to find whatever pleasantness Fred had been speaking of. She had never thought herself pretty; in fact, she rarely thought of herself at all. She was simply…herself.

Looking into the mirror, she saw large almond-shaped eyes, so dark in color that her pupils weren't visible. She was tall and pudgy, with more flesh on her bones than she cared to have. (But such is the burden of a great chef, and she'd not change her profession for all the money in the world.)

Her lips were pink and fat, although she liked the swoop of her top lip well enough. Her nose was a gift from her Elfin great-grandfather on her father's side; small with a slight up-tilt at the end. Her hair was a trait—the only trait—she had inherited from her mother. It was a deep shiny brown, with multifaceted highlights that scanned the color spectrum in the sunlight. She wore it cut to just below her chin and most times messily pulled back into a hair tie.

Her lineage was a diverse one, and though both her parents had been great with magic, Maddie herself had chosen to grow up as a Muggle after her father's disappearance. She rarely used magic, unless she wanted to go about unnoticed, during which times she used her skills as an Animagus and wandered around in cat form.

She brushed a hand through her hair and sighed, putting her iPod headphones in her ears before leaving the bathroom and returning to her bedroom.

She hummed along with a tune as she rifled through her dresser, tossing a clean bra and underwear in the direction of her bed. She turned next to the closet and threw a pair of olive green corduroys over her shoulder and picked out a plush black jumper to wear with it. She turned around, intent on dropping her towel and getting dressed, when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Maddie let out a startled squeal and spun, clutching her towel with one hand and raising her other fist to strike out.

"Easy, kitten."

_Sirius Black!_

Maddie took out her headphones and placed a hand over her racing heart. "You scared the hell out of me, Sirius."

"Blame Remus," he said with a careless smile. "He's the one who told me to stay here while he searched the rest of the house."

"Search the house for what?" she asked distractedly. He was standing quite close.

"Anything suspicious," he said, leaning forward slightly.

"Suspicious?" Maddie breathed, unconsciously leaning in as well.

Sirius nodded, blue eyes shining as they held Maddie's black ones. Their faces were only a breath apart, and one corner of his mouth hitched as if he were thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Sirius."

Maddie jumped guiltily and jerked her gaze to the doorway where Remus Lupin was standing, looking like death warmed over and giving Sirius an unamused look.

"I apologize," Sirius said and smiled at Maddie, though his eyes danced in a way that made his apology false. He knew well what he was doing, and obviously felt no remorse whatsoever.

Maddie took a few steps away from Sirius and placed a hand on her hip, still holding the tie of her towel with the other.

"What are you doing here?" she asked Lupin.

"Searching your home," he replied. "It would seem that Fred and George come here quite often, and by doing so endanger the entire Order of the Phoenix. I had to examine your home and make sure there were no charms or any other magics being used here that could be used for reprehensible purposes."

"'Reprehensible purposes'?" Maddie repeated. Her cheeks flushed with temper as his meaning hit home. "You think I'm working with You-Know-Who?! Are you mad?"

She began to pace, working herself up with each step she took.

"I understand you're probably upset, Maddie," Lupin said. "But you know as well as I that precautions must be taken. In our world—"

"This is_ not_ the wizarding world. I don't deal in magic here. The boys come here to eat my food and get away from the hellhole you've locked them up in. Wha'choo think I'm gonna do? Feed them crepes with a side of Veritaserum? Bleed them for information over dessert?"

"Watch yourself, Remus," Sirius said, not bothering to hide the amusement in his voice. "The kitten has claws."

"Aye, she's claws and teeth too. You'd do well to keep that in mind, Sirius Black," Maddie snapped, stomping to her bed and gathering her clothes before storming back to the bathroom.

"You can leave the way you came," she said before slamming the door.

"That went well," Sirius said dryly. "I tried to tell you, didn't I, that women do not like to be told that they are being investigated? I believe the word I used was 'tact'. 'Use tact, Remus, and charm the truth out of the girl', I think were my exact words."

"In case you've forgotten, my friend, you are supposed to be back at headquarters. You wouldn't even be on this little outing if not for me, so a little gratitude would be—"

"Gratitude? For bringing me to a house to look for spells that you knew wouldn't be here in the first place?"

"That's right!" Remus shouted in a rare show of temper. "I knew there wouldn't be any spells here, you prat! I used it as an excuse so you could get out for a bit, because I am tired of seeing you mope and brood, wandering aimlessly around your house. You look as if you were still in prison, and it kills me!"

Sirius was quiet and walked to the window, looking out over the busy streets below. "I'm sorry, my friend," he said. "I just…I don't know what to do, Remus. I hate feeling useless."

"You'll never be useless, Sirius," Remus said. A humorless scoff was his only reply. Turning back to the matter at hand, Lupin leaned against Maddie's dresser and stared at the bathroom door.

"How long do you figure she'll stay in there?"

"Oh," Sirius said, turning and looking at the door. "I'd say until long after we've gone." He walked forward slowly, meandering his way to the door. "Strange creatures, women, who can stay in a loo for hours on end."

He reached into the inside pocket of his velvet coat and withdrew his wand.

"_Alohomora_," he said with a flick. The bathroom lock clicked softly and Sirius turned the knob, opening the door with a flourish and a grin at Remus.

Maddie sat on the toilet lid, arms crossed over her chest, glaring daggers at Sirius. She had managed to hurriedly throw on her clothes. He made a sweeping motion with his arm, indicating she should join them in the bedroom again.

"Bloody wizards," Maddie grumbled as she swept past him.

"You'll need to pack," Sirius said.

"Pack? For what? I'm not going anywhere."

"Yes, interestingly enough, you are," Sirius said. "You see, checking to see if you were spying for the Dark Lord was only step one of this excursion. Step two—assuming you passed step one and needed not to be eliminated—is to secure you into our safe-keeping and tuck you away with the rest of us."

"Absolutely not," Maddie insisted.

"I'm afraid so," Lupin said apologetically.

Placing her hands firmly on her hips, Maddie raised her chin. "I don't know if you understand this, but I have a job here. I have employees, customers…an entire bloody business that revolves around Muggles. I do not have the option of being spirited away to some secret wizard hide-out!"

Lupin looked distressed at her words but quickly recovered. "Very well. We cannot make you go with us."

"We can't?" Sirius asked, not looking away from Maddie.

"No. Dumbledore insists that she come of her own choosing." Lupin gave a quick nod to Maddie and removed a bag of Floo Powder from his pocket.

"If you get into any trouble, use this and go to Diagon Alley. We have contacts throughout London. They'll get in touch with us and keep you safe while you wait."

"You keep saying you'll keep me safe," Maddie said as she took the bag of Floo Powder. "Safe from what?"

"The Dark Lord," Lupin said.

Maddie's skin went cold. "You—you think he'll be after me? Why?"

"It's why none of us have kept you in the loop these past months, Madelyn. Your father and mother pledged their family to the Order of the Phoenix, so you had no choice in the matter. But by associating with us you are on the Dark Lord's radar. You know who we are, where we go…Lots of things that would be useful for the Death Eaters to know. We were trying to keep you safe by severing all contact with you."

"Of course, we hadn't counted on the rebelliousness of teenage boys," Sirius said wryly. "I suppose we should have, given that we were the same as them once upon a time."

"It's an open invitation," Remus said with a sad smile. "I hope you change your mind."

He stepped into the flue and gave an address—not that of headquarters—and dissolved into the green flames.

"You're just as hard-headed as your father," Sirius said irritably as he stepped to the hearth. "The difference is he would have had enough sense to come under the protection of the Order."

"Aye, he would have," Maddie agreed icily. "Perhaps I've forgotten though… how'd that turn out for him last time?"

Sirius blanched and looked away. Without another word to her he threw down his Floo Powder and was gone in a whoosh of flame.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

"The child needs to be brought in!" Molly Weasley insisted.

A few members of the Order had gathered in an impromptu meeting to discuss the sudden course of events.

"She's not so much a child anymore, Molly," her husband said. "She's a grown woman who has little use for the ways of the wizarding world. After her father—"

"That is precisely why she should be here! How long before she herself goes missing like he did? My boys should have known better than to sneak around behind our backs at such a time, and I am very sorry that they did it, but what's done is done and Madelyn must be protected."

"What do you propose then, Molly? Tie the girl up in a sack and cart her here?" Lupin asked doggedly, rubbing his eyes.

"We cannot afford the manpower to post someone on her, and she cannot be forced here against her will. We have no choice but to wait it out and see if she comes to us."

Sirius, who had been leaning against the doorjamb on the other side of the room, spoke up. "Actually, I might have an idea."

"This should be good," intoned a dry voice from the corner. Severus Snape's beady black eyes stared fixedly at Sirius as he pushed away from the wall.

For once, Sirius did not rise to the bait, but instead kept his attention on Molly, Arthur, Remus, and the ever-watchful Moody.

He told them his idea and managed to keep a cool head when he was met with the expected resistance. To his surprise, it was Snape who helped convince the others.

"I hate to agree with Black on _anything_," Snape said, "but his proposal—though rather juvenile—actually is reasonable. After all, he just sits here, day after day, being altogether…_unhelpful_," he said, emphasizing the word to needle Sirius.

At length, the others nodded.

"I'll get an owl to Dumbledore," Lupin said. "We'll know his thoughts by tomorrow morning."

------------------------------------------------------------

Maddie put in a full day at work the next day, throwing herself whole-heartedly into her craft. Still, even during dinner rush when she barely had time to take a breath, she could not shake the niggling feeling that she was being watched. Chalking it up to nerves, she continued working until the crowd thinned out.

Her assistant manager, Leah, was working as well. Leah and Maddie had gone to school together and were good friends, even though Leah was two years younger than Maddie. Leah was on top of her game today, and as they wiped up the counter during a lull in orders, Maddie congratulated her on a job well done.

"Thank you," Leah said, blushing prettily. "Hey, Mads, I was wondering…"

"Yeah?" Maddie prodded as she swiped some veggie bits into the bin.

"My landlord has decided to redo my flat, to make it more modern for me," she said with a roll of her eyes. "But he didn't mention anything about it 'til today. D'you think I can maybe stay with you for the night?"

"Of course you can. For as long as you like," Maddie said. "I've got the two guest rooms, so you can take your pick." She gave Leah a key to the front door. "In case I'm in the shower when you get there."

"Thanks Maddie," Leah said. She glanced at the clock. "Why don't you go on and cut out? I can finish up here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I'll just run home and pack a few things, and then I'll be straight over."

"Alright then. See you."

Maddie hung up her apron and grabbed her coat, stepping out into the brisk night air. It was only six blocks to her house, so she decided to walk instead of hailing a taxi. She hummed to herself as she walked, looking up at the stars and the moon, lost in her own thoughts.

She had only gone a couple of blocks when she heard panting. Looking down, she saw that a large black dog was trotting along beside her as if he belonged there.

"Where'd you come from?" she asked, frowning. The dog looked up at her, his tongue flopping, and kept up his steady pace.

"Well don't get cozy," Maddie said resolutely. "I don't need or want a dog. So you'd be just as well to go find someone else to follow," she added with a dignified sniff.

She reached her front stoop and looked down at the dog. "This is where we part ways, pup," she said, climbing the steps. The dog sat at the bottom with his head hanging down. He gave a small whine and Maddie looked back at him. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn that he was trying a guilt trip.

"No," she said. "Look, I'm sorry, but I tried to tell you, didn't I, that I wouldn't be keeping you."

The dog looked away then looked back, its brown eyes sad. He gave a little 'hruff' and another pitiful whine.

Maddie let out an exasperated sigh and looked up at the sky. Glaring at the dog, she swept her arm toward the door.

"Okay. One night, then you're out. Understand?"

The dog bounded up the steps and into the house, tongue lolling happily.

"Stay off the sofa and out of the kitchen, and we'll get along fine. For tonight," she amended. "Wonderful. As if there weren't enough on my mind, now I'm talking to a dog. Bleeding nutter," she mumbled.

She went upstairs, unfastening her jeans as she went. She tossed her over shirt into the corner and reached back to unfasten her bra. Tossing that aside as well, she strode to the bathroom in nothing but her underwear and tank top. She turned on the faucets in her bathtub, added a large splash of eucalyptus and spearmint bubble bath, and took her hair down. While the tub was filling, she went to her wardrobe to grab a t-shirt to sleep in.

Maddie heard a creak behind her and looked, smiling softly. "Hey pup."

The black dog sat in the doorway and stared at her, his head tilted slightly to one side. He got up and padded to her, leaning his head against her thigh as he sat beside her. Idly, she reached down and ran her fingers through the fur on top of his head. Finding the night shirt she had been searching for, Maddie returned to the bathroom.

The dog started for the bathroom, but stopped. He heard the faucets turn off and some soft splashing, then a louder splash followed by a long sigh. He got up and continued on to the bathroom, nudging the door open with his muzzle.

"Hey," Maddie said with a laugh as he approached the tub. "You really don't like to be alone, eh?"

She reached out a bubble covered arm to rub his ear. His eyes closed in bliss and he licked her hand.

"Like those bubbles, huh? Good thing, mate. You're in next."

The dog's eyes opened and he sneezed, an obvious sign of disapproval. Maddie laughed again.

"Oh yes you are. You think I'm having you sleep on my things in your current state? I don't think so. You're looking a bit mangy."

She sat in silence for a while, enjoying the scent of the bubble bath. When the water started to get cool, she stood, surprised when the dog leapt up.

"You're a bit jumpy aren't you?" she asked, running a towel over her legs to rid herself of the bubbles. She looked up, unnerved as she noticed the dog's gaze followed her movements.

He was watching her like…like a _man_ would. That's when she understood why he had been acting like he understood what she was saying.

The dog was an Animagus!

Narrowing her eyes, she decided to play things coolly.

Wrapping the towel securely to cover her, she reached for the long t-shirt that lay on the sink. Pulling the curtain, she brushed the remaining bubbles off and dried her skin hurriedly, before tossing the t-shirt over her head.

Maddie left the bathroom and went downstairs, sure that the dog would follow.

"Here pup," she called. "Want some kibble?"

She pulled a trash bag out of the bin and tied it, opening the back door and setting it on the stoop. The dog came to stand by her and she moved quickly, shoving it out the door with her leg.

She slammed the door and clicked the lock in place, staring through the window at the dog with a satisfied smile. She raised one of her windows slightly.

"Ha! Thought you could slip by me, did you? Who are you?" she hissed through the screen.

The dog looked at her for a moment and let out an annoyed huff before throwing his head back and howling miserably. He howled and howled, until several lights came on from the surrounding buildings.

"Shut up!" Maddie said sternly.

"Oi! Shut that dog up!"

"People are trying to sleep!"

"Yeah? Well shut your gobs and go back to sleep then!" Maddie shouted at her neighbors.

The dog howled louder and Maddie cursed. Dashing quickly upstairs, she rifled through her closet until she found an old box. Removing the lid, she took out her wand and ran back downstairs, flipping the lock and letting the dog back inside.

"Alright," Maddie said, pointing her wand at the dog who was sitting in the middle of her kitchen wearing the doggy version of a smug smile. "Who are you?"

The dog rose and walked behind the island counter, where Maddie lost sight of it. There was a whisk sound and the dog was gone. In its place was Sirius Black, standing at least half naked behind her counter. She could only see to a certain point, and he was definitely naked to there.

He leaned forward, resting on his elbows, and arched a brow at Maddie.

"Really," he said sardonically, eyeing her wand. "How do you expect to take care of yourself if you keep your wand in another part of the house?"

Maddie lowered her wand and put her hands on her hips. "I don't usually have cause to draw my wand, Sirius. Besides, where do you keep your wand?" she asked, eyeing his tattooed chest.

"In my pocket," he said as a pair of pants appeared on the counter. He took out his wand and held it between his teeth as he bent to pull on his pants.

Maddie focused her attention on the bowl of fruit on the counter, praying her face wasn't turning red.

"Why didn't your clothes come back on when you changed back to human?" she demanded irritably.

"Well I was a bit rushed, if you recall. I didn't exactly have time to designate where my clothes ended up. I still don't know where my shirt is, come to think of it…"

Maddie sighed. "What are you doing here anyway? I told you I'm not coming with you."

"I haven't said anything about it, have I? The situation has been reevaluated, and we decided it would be easier to just put a guard on you."

"Absolutely not," Maddie said heatedly. Sirius smiled, but there was a roguish gleam that made her wary.

"You've already said I could stay for the night, so we'll talk about it tomorrow."

"You can't stay here, Sirius. I've a friend coming over, and your escape from Azkaban made Muggle news. The authorities are still looking for you."

"What kind of friend?" Sirius asked, frowning slightly.

"Um…my lover," Maddie lied.

As if on cue, the front door opened and Leah called out a greeting. Maddie clenched her teeth in frustration and Sirius chuckled.

"Wow, Dearborn, I had _no_ idea."

"Shut up, Black," Maddie shushed. "You better get out of here before she sees you."

She called out to Leah and hurried from the kitchen.

"I really can't thank you enough, Mads," Leah said, setting her duffle down. She had two large suitcases on the stoop that Maddie grabbed up and carried upstairs for her.

"It's no problem," Maddie said, setting the suitcases on the bed in the guest room. "Besides, it'll be nice to have someone else in the house for a bit."

Leah sneezed and rubbed her nose. "Oh, when did you get a dog?" she asked, looking at the doorway.

Maddie stiffened and turned, scowling fiercely at Padfoot. "He followed me home. I'd've taken him to the pound, but they'd likely put him down. He's a right pitiful looking thing, don't you think?"

Padfoot narrowed his eyes. Leah sneezed again. "I'm sorry. I have an allergy. Where does he sleep?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound forward.

Maddie was about to answer when Padfoot got up and bounded down the hall to her room, leaping gracefully onto her bed.

"Wow, that's one smart dog," Leah said with a little laugh.

"So it would seem," Maddie muttered. When Leah had said goodnight and Maddie returned to her room, she eyed Padfoot with mild annoyance.

"Alright, you win. One night," she said, holding up her index finger for emphasis. "Then you're gone, Sirius."

Padfoot got off the bed and waited for Maddie to crawl in. She pulled up her blanket and made a show of fluffing her pillow. Without waiting for permission (because he knew that he would never get it), Padfoot jumped back onto the bed and lay down.

"Don't get too comfortable," Maddie said quietly. "The last thing I need is a wizard hogging my blankets."

----------------------------------------------------

Maddie rolled over during the night and opened her eyes. A sliver of light from her bathroom fell across the bed, illuminating Sirius's tattooed back. At some point he had changed from his animal form.

His dark hair was sleep-ruffled and his arm was slung haphazardly over the side of the bed. He slept on his stomach, and amidst the rise and fall of his breathing, Maddie could see the horridness of his Azkaban tattoos. They were raised from his skin, more brandings than tattoos. No doubt they were painful to endure. She wondered idly if they still hurt him.

She stretched out a hand to lightly trace one with the tips of her fingers, but he shifted in his sleep, and she pulled her hand back. He rolled to face her, his hair falling across his cheek, his features slack. Every so often his brows would furrow and he would twitch, then he would settle.

Maddie watched him sleep for a long while before finally drifting off herself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the love!  
Teen Rating Warning - There's some spontaneous petting in this chapter, but not much. (haha..."petting"... 'cause Sirius is a dog. :D )**

CHAPTER 3

When Maddie woke the next morning, the first thing she noticed was the tranquil warmth that surrounded her. Burrowing closer to the source, she inhaled and become aware of the subtle scent of earth and trees, like a forest in autumn.

Maddie opened her eyes and felt all of the peaceful, tingly feeling evaporate. She had buried herself against Sirius's chest!

Bloody hell…

She leaned her head back and looked up at him, but he was still sleeping. During the night, her shirt had worked its way up and was now tucked stubbornly beneath her breasts. Her torso was flush against his, one of her legs stuck between his knees. His hand rested heavily on her hip.

Damn and double damn, she swore to herself, trying to tug the mutinous t-shirt down. She wanted to be a bit more covered before she moved and woke him up. Not that it mattered, she thought ironically, since he had watched her in the bathtub.

But still, he was a dog then. Now he was a man--a fact she was all too aware of.

She tucked her tongue between her teeth in concentration as she rose up to pull at her shirt. She managed to scoot away from him enough to fit her hand between their bodies and she hooked the material around her fingertips.

As she worked her shirt tail down, the back of her knuckles brushed over a portion of tattoo on Sirius's stomach that was raised higher than the rest. Before she could register the movement, he had her pinned on her back with his hand in her hair. He jerked her head roughly to the side and pressed his wand painfully against her throat.

"Sirius," she choked out. Her dark eyes pleaded with him, but his eyes were wild, and she wasn't sure if he even realized where he was. She gripped his wrist, trying to ease the pressure on her throat as she said his name again.

His eyes focused and he let go of her. He tossed his wand on her pillow and sat her up, looking sickened at his behaviour.

"I'm…"

"It's alright," Maddie said, hating the look of self-loathing on his face. She offered a small smile and reached for his arm, but he shrugged out of reach.

"Don't. I could have hurt you," he said quietly.

There was something sinister in the tone of his voice that made her skin cold, and she shivered. Maddie rose from the bed and quickly tugged her shirt down the rest of the way before forcing a brittle laugh.

"You wouldn't have hurt me," she said as she crossed to the closet. She started to turn back to the bed, but Sirius grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her back into the wall. She hadn't heard him move.

His eyes bored into hers as he splayed his hands on either side of her head. His gaze was hard as he angled his head to the side and examined her, his eyes drifting over her features slowly.

"That's where you are wrong, kitten," he whispered, his face so close Maddie could feel his breath fanning over her cheek. "I'm a dangerous man."

Maddie shivered again, but this time it had nothing to do with being afraid or cold. In fact, there was a warmth spreading over her body.

"And I'm a very capable woman," Maddie countered breathlessly.

"You're a fool," Sirius said with narrowed eyes.

"Perhaps I'm both," Maddie conceded before gripping the back of Sirius's neck and bringing his mouth to hers. She would never have been so bold had it been anyone else, but his taunting had empowered her, and she felt liberated.

His hands left the wall and seized each side of her neck, his thumbs brushing lightly over her jaw. It had been years since he had tasted a woman's mouth. Last night—being so close to Maddie as she slept, yet unable to touch her—had almost been his undoing.

Sirius dropped his hands to her hips, hauling her to him as he took a step forward, pushing himself closer to her. His hand drew the hem of her shirt up a fraction so he could touch the soft skin beneath. He left her lips and pressed a kiss to her neck, then another, burying his face in the hollow between her neck and shoulder.

Maddie wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him closer. She gave a small moan as Sirius nipped her flesh with his teeth, and then soothed the sting with his lips. She could feel the scars on his back beneath her fingertips and as she brushed them lightly, Sirius grew still, his head resting on her shoulder and breathing her scent.

There was a knock on her door and Leah called to Maddie.

Sirius swore viciously and straightened, not quite meeting Maddie's eyes.

"I apologize. That was a mistake."

Without another word, he transfigured and hopped back onto Maddie's bed as Padfoot.

"Mads, it's nearly eight o'clock," she called. "Do you need me to go in and open the restaurant?"

"No," Maddie called, running a hand through her hair. Having a crush on Sirius Black was_ not _a good idea. "I'll be out in a minute."

Without a glance at Padfoot, she got her clothes and went to the bathroom to grab a quick shower. She wasn't surprised to see the dog following her down the street as she headed to work.

She entered the restaurant through the kitchen door and noticed that Padfoot picked a spot on top of the trash bin, near a window so that he could keep an eye on her.

The morning wore on with no problems, and when the noon shift came on, Maddie was happy to see that David Sachi was working.

Dave was tall, with sleek black hair and a mischievous grin. His t-shirt stretched tightly over his muscular chest and arms, and his khaki pants were fashionably loose. He was a good friend of Maddie's and usually cheered her when she was having an off day. He was bright and funny, and one of the best cooks in all of London.

Maddie went out back for a cigarette break, finally forcing herself to look Padfoot in the eyes. He lay down on the lid of the bin, hanging his head over the side. Maddie leaned back against the wall next to the bin and blew out a thin stream of smoke, reaching up to casually run her fingers through the fur on top of Padfoot's head.

The kitchen door swung open and Dave stepped out with two large trash bags in his hands. He tossed them in a bin across from where Maddie stood before leaning next to her.

"How's it then, bosslady?" He asked with a little nudge, shoulder to shoulder. His accent was thick and he spoke fast, often running his words together.

Maddie just rolled her eyes and tossed down her cigarette. "Absolutely mad."

"You know, they say dancing is a relief for madness," Dave said with a smile.

"Do they now? And who are 'they'?"

"You know…_them_. So how 'bout it?"

Maddie smiled, but shook her head at his outstretched hand. "I'm not dancing with you in the middle of a disgusting alley."

"Then how's about this Saturday at McAffey's pub?" Dave asked.

Padfoot gave a short growl and drew Dave's attention away from Maddie. "Oi, 's that your dog?"

Maddie nodded as he stepped closer. "Temporarily," she said.

"Right mangy looking, innit?" Dave said, stretching out his hand to pet Padfoot.

Taking offense at his words, Padfoot growled and snapped at Dave's outstretched hand, barely missing his flesh.

"Hey!"

"Si—Padfoot!" Maddie shouted, thumping the dog on the nose. "Bad dog! Baaaad dog."

Padfoot growled and sneezed, showing his displeasure, before standing and jumping from the bin, proceeding down the alley without so much as a backward glance.

"I'm so sorry," Maddie said. "He's somewhat temperamental."

"I noticed," Dave said ruefully. "C'mon. Better get back to work before the owner of this place goes berserk. She's somewhat unbalanced anyway, so I've heard," he said with a wink.

Maddie got through the rest of the day on auto-pilot. There seemed to be a heaviness in the air that she could not escape, an impression of danger that she could not shake.

And why should she, if the most powerful dark wizard ever had decided to hunt her?

She wished Sirius had come back, but the window remained empty. She hoped he hadn't decided to do anything rash.

As Maddie left the restaurant, walking home was not her first option. She waited for twenty minutes on a taxi, and then gave up with a curse.

She passed the empty shops and the darkened alleyways that she had passed thousands of times. Her footsteps faltered as the ominous clicking of someone walking behind her reached her ears. She turned her head, but she was alone on the street. She continued walking, trying not to panic as she picked up the pace. The steps behind her increased frequency as well, and Maddie broke into a run, ducking into the first alley she came to and transfiguring into a sleek black and white cat.

Not bothering to see who was following her, she climbed a nearby fire-escape and strode along the rooftops until she came to her building. Entering through a small pet door in her kitchen, Maddie tread carefully around her house, lest someone be waiting for her.

There was a note on the refrigerator from Leah saying that she would be out until late, but she had her key. Maddie hurried across the living room and upstairs to check for anything out of place. She stuck her head in the first guest room, then Leah's, and finally nudged her own bedroom door open with her paws.

She stuck her head around the door cautiously, pausing to sniff the air as she proceeded inward. Nothing seemed abnormal, and she sat on the carpet until some of her tension receded. Her tail twitched anxiously.

A floorboard creaked behind her and she whirled just as a hand scooped her up. She howled and hissed, balling up on the hand that held her, using her teeth and back claws to defend herself.

"Easy, now."

Maddie stilled at the sound of Sirius's voice. She struggled in his hold and he dropped her to the floor. Concentrating on transfiguring with her clothes intact, she shifted into a human and stood.

"Can't you _ever_ make noise?!" Maddie demanded, tugging at her blouse, which had been bunched and twisted when it appeared.

Sirius shrugged carelessly. "Old habits."

Obviously just out of the shower, he lifted the fluffy white towel and began to casually dry his hair. He was wearing dark navy denims and a soft button down shirt that set off the color of his eyes perfectly. The sleeves were rolled up to the elbows and only the three bottom buttons were buttoned, as if he simply got tired of buttoning them and didn't care how it looked.

Which was probably exactly what had happened.

"How did you get those clothes?" Maddie asked as he strode away from her. She shook her head and pledged not to let her school-girl attraction to Sirius get in the way of her thinking.

_Like that is going to happen_, she thought as she watched him move.

He walked with an easy grace, his steps long and lazy as he made his way to the bed. The jeans fit his hips snugly but were loose in the legs, and the blue shirt was untucked indifferently.

Tossing the towel into the hamper, he stretched out and stacked his hands behind his head.

"Hermione," he answered, snapping her out of her gawking. "She said I'd need Muggle clothes, just on the off chance that I was noticed by your neighbors. Waistcoats and pocket watches apparently draw unwanted attention and increase the chance that they would notice who I am. Why were you a cat?"

He ran the question in with his explanation deliberately so as to throw Maddie off her guard, but she ignored him.

"You shouldn't have snapped at Dave. You could have hurt him."

"Bollucks. It probably wouldn't have even broken the skin," he said, lazily draping an arm over his eyes.

"Why did you snap at him in the first place?" she demanded, striding to the bed.

"He called me mangy. I happen to be a rather nice looking dog, if I do say so myself," Sirius said with a sniff.

"You aren't and you know it. I called you mangy-looking, and you didn't try to take my hand off. What if it had been someone else and they had called the pound or something?"

"I didn't bite at you because I'm used to your moods. I will not, however, be insulted by some strange, muscle-headed Muggle with a speech condition."

"David does not have a speech condition," Maddie said, incensed. "He just uses a lot of slang, that's all. And you, Sirius Black, are the most arrogant, priggish,--"

"Blah, blah, blah," Sirius said, flapping his hand like a mouth. "I've heard it before, Madelyn."

He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, looking her dead in the eye. "Why were you a cat?"

"I don't have to have a reason. I can go about as a cat whenever I want to, Sirius. I'm of age."

He stood slowly and Maddie raised her chin in defiance.

"Why were you a cat, Maddie," he repeated. His voice was deep, quiet…soothing. Maddie's eyes fluttered closed momentarily and she sighed. He was working some sort of spell on her, but she could not fight it. Or maybe she just didn't want to.

"Why were you a cat?" he asked again, bringing his hand to her hair. He plunged his fingers into the multicolored tresses and absently rubbed the nape of her neck.

"Some…someone was following me," Maddie said breathlessly leaning back into his caress.

Sirius straightened and jerked his hand away. "What?"

"Ugh! You _jerk_," Maddie shouted, coming back to her senses. The spell Sirius had been using ceased when his concentration broke. "I can't believe you would use something that…that…_high school_ on me!"

Sirius ignored her anger and took her by the forearms.

"Why didn't you tell me you were being followed?" he demanded. "Who was following you?"

"I hadn't worked it all out yet, and I didn't want you to freak out," Maddie said, twisting her arms out of his grip. "I don't know who was following me. I slipped into an alley and transfigured, then came home. I panicked, ok?"

"Tell me," Sirius said, his tone quieter but still very tense.

Maddie told him everything, from the feeling of uneasiness to the footsteps behind her, growing more and more defeated with each word. She sat on the end of her bed and fell back with a sigh. Sirius sat and looked down at her. His hair fell around his face and she could see the worry in his eyes as he thought about what to do.

"I think—" Maddie began, but was cut off when a knock sounded on her door.

"Mads, it's me," Leah said, opening the door. "Were you talking to someone?"

"Just the dog," Maddie said as Padfoot jumped onto the bed and she began to pet him.

"Oh, ok. Well I just wanted to say g'night."

"Good night, Leah," Maddie said. She waited until she heard her friend's door shut before she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

Sirius changed back into himself and Maddie let her hand slide from his still damp hair.

"Sweet Merlin, that kid has to be the most bothersome—"

"Sirius," Maddie said quietly, cutting him off. "If you'll give me time to make arrangements with my employees, I'd like to go with you to the Order."

Sirius eyed her for a moment, relief evident in his face, and nodded.

"I'll get word to Remus and the others, and let them know to expect us tomorrow."

"I don't want to go to headquarters," Maddie said. "I'd rather go to the Burrow," she added hopefully. For all the crap the wizarding world had dealt to her, she did have many fond memories from the Burrow.

"I'll see what I can do," Sirius said. "You may not be in any danger at all, you know," he said lightly, trying to reassure her.

"You are a terrible liar, Sirius Black," Maddie grinned, burrowing into her pillow with a sigh.

"I used to be quite good at it," he said with a shrug and a small smile. "I guess the skills of youth are lost with age."

Maddie's eyebrow flicked up naughtily, but she remained silent and soon fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This chapter is a bit lengthy, but I couldn't find a good stopping point. Sorry!  
:)**

CHAPTER 4

The next morning while Maddie was making plans for her business, Sirius disapparated to Camden before strolling the streets to Islington and Number 12 Grimmauld Place. He made certain to stick to larger crowds and keep his head down and marveled at what Muggle clothes could do for a person's stealth. Not one person took notice of him.

Making certain no one was around and casting a quick disillusionment charm, he stood back as Number 12 appeared before bounding up the steps and entering the house.

"Good morning, all," he said cheerily to the flabbergasted family who were gathered around the table. "In time for breakfast, I see. Molly you are a gem."

"Sirius, what in the sodding hell do you think you are doing?" Mrs. Weasley demanded. Her children looked at her, aghast at her language. "What if you had been spotted and picked up? And where is Maddie?"

"I felt like a walk in the sunlight, measley though it is," Sirius said, ticking off his answers on his fingers and making Molly scowl harder. "I wasn't concerned about being spotted, as my new clothes hide me as well as any invisibility cloak." He winked at Hermione and picked up a piece of bacon.

"And Maddie is currently making arrangements for her restaurant so that she can come here."

There was a chorus of happy exclamations from the teenagers. Molly's shoulders relaxed a bit and she sat down. Her eyes never wavered from Sirius or his from her as he inclined his chin ever so slightly to indicate he needed to speak to her in private.

"You kids finish your meal," Molly said, rising. Sirius followed suit and joined her in the kitchen.

"Where is everyone?" he asked as he pushed the swinging door closed.

"Arthur's at work and everyone else is on some mission or other," Molly said. "All except Remus, and he had a rough night of it last night. Still upstairs."

"Is he alright?" Sirius asked, concerned.

"He's fine. Just a bit bumped and bruised. A few Death Eaters got the jump on him and Tonks, but they got out just fine."

"How did the Death Eaters manage to surprise them? He's…well_, him_, and Tonks is one of the best Aurors around."

Molly shrugged and made herself busy folding a dishtowel. "What is it you wanted?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Maddie doesn't want to come here," Sirius said.

"But you just said—"

"I know. She wants to come under the protection of the Order, but she doesn't want to come here, to Grimmauld Place. She was thinking maybe the Burrow," Sirius said.

Molly's face lit with delight. "You mean I would get to go home? Absolutely! I insist that she come to the Burrow," she said.

Sirius smiled at her enthusiasm. "We can set up some protection charms and up security. I don't really see Voldemort sending anyone after her, but as close as she is to us we cannot take the risk."

Molly nodded, still smiling at the thought of being able to get out of Number 12. "We'll get the children packed then, and go set the charms. We should be able to be home by tonight. We'll come to Maddie's, and then leave from there when she's ready."

Sirius nodded and turned to the swinging door, giving it a hard shove with both hands. He grinned hugely at the resounding thuds and groans from the other side as the eavesdroppers toppled. Opening the door and sticking his head out, he looked at the pile of teenagers on the floor who were holding their heads or various parts of their faces.

"Oh, terribly sorry," he said with false sincerity as he took a strip of leather from his pocket and tied his hair back. He looked at Ron, who was holding his nose. "Hope it doesn't swell," he chirped, stepping over Fred and Hermione as he went back to the table.

--------------

At Molly's insistence, Sirius had been walking a few blocks then disapparating to reduce chances of being seen, but he was still whistling carelessly as he reached Maddie's street. Dusk had fallen, and with the usual _unusual _amounts of fog and clouds that covered the city, it was nearly full dark.

Circling around to the back of her house, he entered the courtyard that connected the four surrounding homes.

The sound of music reached his ears as he climbed the back steps and peered through the door of the kitchen. In an attempt to keep herself busy, Maddie had cranked up her stereo and began to bake.

The counters along the wall were littered with cookies, brownies, cakes, and strudels. The island bar in the middle of the kitchen was covered from end to end by bowls, measuring cups, and cookbooks, as well as splatters of dough, batter, and more than a little spilled flour.

Sirius smiled as he set eyes on the baker. She didn't look much better. Flour smudged her cheek and nose, and her apron was stained. Most of her hair had pulled loose from her hair tie and was tucked behind her ears, likely staying in place thanks to the residue of cookie dough stuck there.

Her cheeks were flushed and a little line formed between her brows as she frowned down at her cookbook. She glanced at a clock on the microwave and dug in her pocket, withdrawing the small bag of Floo Powder that Remus had given her. She tossed it on a vacant spot on the counter—next to her wand, Sirius noted with a feeling of smug satisfaction—and braced her arms on either side of the cookbook.

He knocked on the window pane, but the music was obviously too loud for her to hear him. He tried the knob and found it locked. Not wanting to startle her by apparating into the kitchen (aside from the simple rudeness of apparating unannounced into someone's home), he took his wand out of the back pocket of his pants, tapped the knob and muttered "_Alohomora_."

Pain shot up his arm as if a red hot poker had been shoved beneath his skin. He gripped his arm with a curse, trying to stop the burning in his forearm from spreading all the way up.

She had put an anti-intruder spell on the house!

Sirius supposed he should be glad that she took such precautions, but given the fire that was coursing in his veins his enthusiasm was squelched. He released his arm long enough to punch the door loudly, cursing again when a light from a neighboring house came on.

Maddie rushed to the window, wand drawn.

"Let me in," Sirius said from between clenched teeth.

Maddie's mouth formed an 'o' of surprise as she unlocked the door and ushered him inside.

"I'm sorry! Oh God, Sirius, are you alright?"

The burning stopped immediately as she let him in, but there were still raw red streaks leading from his wrist to his elbow.

"I'm so sorry," Maddie said over the music, grimacing as she looked at his arm. She rushed to the counter and turned down the stereo, then got a wet cloth and held it out to him.

"Here, put this on. It'll help…I think."

"I'm fine," Sirius said. "The others haven't arrived yet?"

Maddie shook her head. "George sent an owl and said it might be as late as midnight before they made it."

Sirius nodded and picked up a cookie. He looked around the kitchen, noticing there were even more baked goods than he had first seen.

"This is really good," he said, waving the cookie. "What's with all the baking?"

"It's…how I deal with stress," Maddie said, her cheeks pinking slightly.

Tucking the remainder of his cookie in his mouth and brushing the crumbs from his hands, he walked to her and pushed aside the bowl of batter she was stirring. She looked at him in surprise as he also removed the spoon from her hand. He took her shoulders and gently turned her to face him.

"Nothing—look at me," he said, brushing the flour from her cheek with his fingertips as his other hand lazily slid down her arm. "Nothing is going to happen to you. I promise. Do you trust me?"

"Yes," Maddie said, without hesitation.

"We are going to have powerful protection spells covering the Burrow. You'll be safe. There is nothing to worry about."

"You'll be there too, right?" she asked, wanting to kick herself as soon as the words were out.

_Ugh. Damsel in distress, anyone_, she thought to herself.

There was a tapping at the window and a large grey owl sat outside with a letter in his beak. Glad for the distraction from her asinine question, Maddie rushed over and opened the window, relieving the messenger of his cargo.

"It's for you," she said, picking up her spoon and returning to her batter.

Sirius took the envelope and opened it, reading Remus's familiar scrawl.

_Padfoot,_

_The house is set up and ready to live in. I think it is a good idea if you keep an eye on the kitten after the move. The rest of the family agrees, except for Uncle Snivel, who never agrees with anything intelligent, as you well know. _

_I will be in touch in a day or so. I hope the air helps your lungs, since they've been so heavy lately. _

_Moony_

Sirius stared at the letter with compliance. He hadn't really thought about going to the Burrow, but he supposed it would be nice, being able to walk around without having to worry about being seen by neighbors. And it didn't seem as if he had a choice.

He smiled to himself at the last sentence. Remus had always been able to read him like an open book. He knew how stifled Sirius felt at Grimmauld Place, and it wasn't just because he could not do anything for the Order of the Phoenix.

No, more than anything it was the unpleasant memories he had tied up in that house. Memories of his family, of his youth. Memories of the fighting, the shouting, the horrible bigotry of blood status.

Yes, it would be nice to be away from there.

"What does it say?"

Sirius shrugged nonchalantly. "It's just some well wishes from Remus, saying the house is ready. I expect the Weasleys will be here soon. And to answer your question: yes, I will be at the Burrow for as long as you are there."

Maddie could not stop the little buzz that skittered up her spine as he smiled and picked up a scoop of brownie batter on his finger. She watched, feeling completely stupid but unable to look away as he brought the treat to his mouth and sucked it off his finger, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she was staring at his mouth, mesmerized.

He dipped his fingertip back into the bowl and held it up to her, arching a brow challengingly. "Want some?"

Clearing her suddenly parched throat, Maddie shook her head.

"That's really unsanitary. Not only are there thousands of germs on human hands, but you also double dip—"

Sirius licked his finger and cupped her chin, cutting off her kitchen-nazi tirade as he kissed her. Maddie went lax against him, sighing as his lips nibbled hers.

Her tongue brushed his, shyly at first, but more confidently as his arms slid around her waist. There was a surge of energy humming in the air. Her senses became sharper as she let herself go. She could smell his skin, earthy and clean. She could taste him, mixed with the chocolaty sweetness of the brownie batter.

Maddie mewled softly as his mouth left hers to seek the sensitive spot below her ear. His fingers dug into her hips as he drew her closer and pinned her against the island. Her hands moved of their own volition, tugging the hem of the grey jumper over his head and tossing it onto the floor. She eyed the newly revealed white t-shirt with hatred. He grinned at her, his eyes twinkling under a messy curtain of hair and she caught a glimpse of the impish young man he should be.

She pulled him to her again, her fingers twisting in his hair. She slipped the leather tie the rest of the way off and ran her fingers through the silky length.

Her fingers trailed over the back of his t-shirt, gliding over the raised scars from his Azkaban tattoos. Now and then he would inhale sharply if she brushed one of the thicker ones, but he would neither break from her mouth, nor stop his hands from exploring her curves.

Maddie could hear her heart beating. A moment later, she could swear she heard her blood rushing in her veins as a soft rumbling reached her ears. Sirius's mouth skimmed down her throat and nipped at her collarbone as her head fell back.

There was a gasp of shock and Sirius froze. It took a moment for Maddie's passion-fogged brain to realize that the gasp hadn't come from her. Spinning to the door, her face heated with embarrassment as Hermione—looking every bit as uncomfortable and embarrassed—stuttered out a greeting.

The rumbling sound returned, and Maddie realized that the Weasleys were using the Floo Network to her bedroom. The rumble was excited footsteps on the stairs as the kids rushed down to see her and Sirius.

Slipping from between Sirius and the counter, Maddie held a plate of cookies out to Hermione, who graciously took one and shoved it in her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she whispered around the cookie. "I didn't think…it never crossed my mind that…Sorry."

If possible, Maddie's cheeks got even more flushed. Hermione, sensing her distress, inhaled greatly and huffed out a breath, offering her a brilliant smile.

"Caught me off guard is all," she said cheerily. "I won't mention it to anyone," she added in a whisper to Maddie, who mouthed a 'thank you' as Ron and Ginny bounded to the door.

Ron, who Maddie had learned long ago never tired of eating, stared at the plates of cookies, cakes, brownies, etc. with all the wonder of a child at Christmas.

"Help yourself," Maddie said with a grin as she stepped out of the doorway and let the kids enter. Fred and George were joining the others and Molly was making her way downstairs at a much slower pace. She embraced Maddie in a motherly hug as she reached the kitchen.

"I'm so sorry, dear, for all this trouble. If the boys hadn't—"

"No, Molly. It is fine," Maddie insisted. "It was irresponsible of me to keep inviting them back."

"But now you're having to rearrange everything," Molly said, taking a piece of apple strudel from the counter. "This is quite good."

"Thank you," Maddie said with a grin.

"Are you packed?"

"N-no. I was going to when Sirius got home, but I got…sidetracked."

Mm-_hmm_…Molly looked from Maddie, who was pink and flustered to Sirius, who was sitting on the counter beside the kitchen sink looking the very image of ease.

She took in his messy hair, which he had obviously attempted to straighten by running his hands though it. She noted his disheveled t-shirt, as well as the flour covered jumper sitting beside him, and immediately knew that she and the children had arrived at an awkward time.

"Well why don't you scoot on upstairs and clean up and pack, and I'll take care of the dishes."

Maddie nodded and dashed from the kitchen without a quick word of thanks. When she was in her room, she fell face first onto her bed and screamed her frustration into her pillow. That was twice now that Sirius had kissed her retarded, and she didn't know how much more of his hot/cold mood swings she could take.

As if Karma had not finished kicking her ass, she heard a quiet cough from the doorway.

Rosy-cheeked and panting, Maddie rolled off the bed and stood facing Sirius with all the enthusiasm of a person facing a firing squad.

But at least _they_ got a cigarette.

"Do you have those fits often?" Sirius asked, not bothering to hide his amusement.

"Shut up," Maddie muttered.

With a sigh of resignation, she dug her suitcase out of her closet. She threw all of her clothes on her bed and began folding them, staying quiet when Sirius began helping her.

"Maddie—"

"Sirius Black, I'm warning you right now: if you apologize to me for—"

"Would you shut up and let me finish—"

"—what happened in the kitchen, I am going to shove this clothes hanger up your—"

"I wasn't going to—"

"Am I interrupting?" Ginny asked from the doorway.

"Yes!" Sirius barked.

"No!" Maddie shouted, slamming her suitcase and hauling it off the bed.

"Okaaay…mum said to tell you that whenever you get ready, Maddie, we can go. She and Sirius will finish up some anti-intruder charms."

"Sounds great," Maddie said as she headed for the door.

Sirius caught her wrist and took her suitcase. "Ginny would you…"

"Gladly," Ginny said, desperate for escape.

When the girl had gone, Maddie pulled her hand away and looked at Sirius.

"I wasn't going to apologize for kissing you," he said. "When I apologized yesterday morning, it was for the lack of control that I showed, not for kissing you. Besides, technically you kissed me first."

He cupped her cheek in his hand and brushed his thumb across her jaw, smiling sadly.

"You said it was a mistake," Maddie reminded him. "Yet _you_ kissed _me_ in the kitchen."

"It was a mistake to kiss you at all," Sirius said, letting his hand drop. "Maddie, I haven't been in the company of a woman in…a long time," he said with a scoff and a shrug. "Especially a young woman who accepts me so eagerly. Kissing you, touching you…it is dangerous to both of us."

"How? How could it be?"

"Because!" Sirius said, throwing up his hands in frustration. "Because I've known you since you were a child, which plays hell on my conscience. And because you are a girl who throws herself into my arms without a moment's pause, thinking you'll be able to mend my poor battered soul or something," he said disdainfully. "Well I've got news for you, Madelyn. I have no soul for you to mend and there isn't going to be a happily ever after for us."

He turned away from her and ran his hands through his hair, linking his fingers behind his neck.

"I'm sorry for you, Sirius," Maddie said quietly after a moment. "It must have been dreadfully embarrassing seeing me go into raptures over you every time you were around."

She laughed shakily. She could feel her eyes burn, but she refused to let him see her cry.

"Tell Molly I'll be right down. I've got to run to the loo."

He stood there, looking stricken, as she shut the door. Covering her mouth with her hand, she let the tears come.

Most of what he had said was true.

She was ten years old when she was introduced to him. She had accompanied her father to meet with some of his friends from the Order. Sirius, James, and Remus had all been there, talking and laughing as if the world was not threatened to be destroyed by evil. Even then, she had been captivated by him. Each time she would sit in on a meeting, she would sit in the corner and watch him. She memorized the way his eyes would light with mischief while planning a surprise attack, or the way he would toss his hair out of his face with impatience when something serious was being discussed. And when he would catch her watching him he would wink at her, regardless of what the topic at the table was, and Maddie would feel her heart sink to her feet.

So yes, he had known her since she was a child, and yes, she went to him without hesitation, but not because she sought to fix his soul. That's where he got it wrong. She went because she was in love with him. Truly, honestly in love.

She had been since she was ten.

A soft knock came from the bedroom door, and Maddie stood, wiping her face with a cold washcloth. She grabbed her toothbrush and opened the bathroom door, calling for whoever was knocking to come in.

"You ready?" Fred asked. He eyed her funny and looked away, shuffling his feet, obviously uncomfortable with her tear-puffed eyes.

"Yep, just had to grab my toothbrush," she said with false cheeriness.

"Right. Everyone else has gone, 'cept for George and me. Sirius is around somewhere, but he and mum finished the protection charms. I'll take you Side-Along, if you're skills are a bit rusty."

"That'd be good," Maddie said. "I haven't used apparition in a while."

They went downstairs and stood beside George, who was sending bags of cookies ahead to the Burrow. When he was done, there were two loud cracks, and Maddie felt as if she was being squeezed through a piping bag. They arrived at the Burrow a moment later, and Maddie found a bowl of soup thrust into her hands immediately. Mrs. Weasley, obviously delighted to be home, had instantly started cooking.

"Where's Sirius?" Hermione asked as she put her bowl in the sink and snatched a hunk of brownie from Ron.

"He was going to finish the charms at Maddie's house and then check on things with Remus. He said he might not be back before dawn."

The Weasleys and Hermione stayed awake late into the night, talking and laughing, enjoying the feeling of normalcy. Maddie, not wanting to go to bed right away, stayed up with them and tried to ignore the pang in her heart.

----------

Remus sat the tumbler of fire whiskey in front of his friend and took a chair across from him.

"You look like crap," he said, taking a drink from his own glass.

"You'd be an expert on that," Sirius said, tossing back his tumbler and reaching to refill it.

Remus smiled and waited, knowing that sooner or later Sirius would unload. He barely stifled his grin as Sirius let out a forlorn sigh.

"Alright, fine, I'll tell you," he said.

"Tell me what?" Remus asked innocently.

"What's bothering me," Sirius said.

"What makes you think I want to know?"

"Well, don't you?"

Remus shrugged and took a drink. Sirius, taking this as a sign that his friend was in fact dying to know his plight, propped his foot on the table and leaned back in his chair.

"She's pushing my boundaries, Remus," Sirius said.

"She who?"

"She… _The_ she. Madelyn. I don't know what I'm going to do, mate. She stirs something in me. I don't know what it is," Sirius said, draining the rest of his whiskey.

Remus stood, poured another drink for Sirius, and topped off his own.

"Sirius, my friend, we are not that old. I'm sure if you think hard enough you'll remember what it is that's stirring," he cackled at his own innuendo.

"You had a good bit of drink before I got here, didn't you?"

"Yes, actually I did. I am entitled occasionally to have a bit of fun. If you will notice, the moon is nowhere near full. I am still weeks away from my cycle. I am free to cavort like a griffon in the springtime."

"You're drunk," Sirius said, laughing.

Remus shrugged and waved the other man on. "Go on, go on. She stirs things…"

"Right. I don't know what I'm gonna do 'bout it. I mean she's…her, right? I can't—" he waved his hands in the air, "--you know. Not with her. Merlin's beard, she's just a child."

"No she's not. She's a grown woman, Sirius. More importantly, she's a grown woman who's mad about you."

"Are you an expert on females now as well as a professor of DADA?"

"I should be an expert on females after putting up with you all those years," Remus jibed. He shook his head, turning serious.

"I was there, keeping a check on her as she grew up. I listened when she was trying to figure out if she wanted to be active in the wizarding world. I helped her hone her magic. Even through all of that, every time I was near her, she asked if anything had been heard about you. Honestly, Sirius, let her make her own choices. She's been in love with you for…hell, _ever_."

"She's pure, you know?" Sirius slurred slightly, leaning forward intently. "I mean, not just nice, but good. You know the difference?"

"I do, yeah," Remus said, nodding.

"I'm…I'm…" Sirius shook his head sadly. "I'm neither of those things, nice or good. And there's something wrong _here_," he declared, slamming his hand to his chest as tears pricked his eyes. "Something that got ruined in Azkaban. It's cold here, and dark, and sad. And it feels terrible, Remus. And I don't want her to have to endure that too."

"She won't, mate. She won't. That girl's got enough light in her to power half of London," Remus said affectionately. "Trust me, the women tied up with us are a lot tougher than we think they are. And a lot more stubborn."

"Great," Sirius muttered. "Because she's not stubborn enough already." He looked at his friend and arched a brow.

"Hold on. Whatchoo mean 'the women tied up with _us_?' You got a woman tucked away somewhere then, do you?"

Remus busied himself with clearing away the bottles and glasses from the table, turning to the cupboard, but not before Sirius noticed the flush that crawled along his neck and cheeks.

"You've had a lot to drink," Remus was saying. "It's late. You better get back to the Burrow, and I better get to bed myself."

Sirius stood and (unsteadily) walked around the table to ruffle Remus's hair. He tossed his hair out of his eyes, a knowing smile pasted on his face.

"Bah," Remus said with a sigh of his own. He took the bottles of fire whiskey back out and handed one to Sirius. "Might as well make a night of it."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for the love! -hugs-  
There is a bit of mush in this chapter, but not much. The relationship lightbulb is about to blink on in our dear hero's head. lol**

CHAPTER 5

Maddie crawled out of bed one Friday morning and nearly crashed into Sirius on the second story landing.

"Oh, excuse me," she said sleepily.

"'s alright," he replied before edging around her and continuing upstairs.

They had been at the Burrow for almost three weeks, and Sirius had only spoken to her out of necessity. She often wondered what had happened on that first night when he had been gone until nearly dawn. All she knew was that he had apparated into the twins' room and they practically had to pour him into his own bed, he was so drunk.

She had tried not to waste her days mooning over the temperamental wizard but failed miserably. Though she remembered his harsh words from the night they left her house, she spent her days waiting to catch a glimpse of him.

"Hey, Mads, fancy a game of Quidditch?" Fred asked as he, Ron, Ginny, and George headed for the door.

Maddie shook her head as she crossed her arms over her chest. She had never been good with brooms, and definitely didn't want a bewitched ball flying at her head.

"I think I'll hang out here with Hermione, thanks," she said as Hermione came out of the kitchen.

"Suit yourself," the twins said with matching shrugs. Sometimes they weirded her out a little bit.

Maddie took the mug Hermione held out to her. "What's this?"

"Hazelnut coffee. I brought it from home."

"Bless you, child!" Maddie said, embracing Hermione dramatically. The girl laughed and sat on the sofa next to Maddie, who cradled her mug and closed her eyes in a coffee-induced euphoria.

The two women gabbed for a while. Maddie was surprised at how easy it was to talk to Hermione, even if she was so much younger than herself. Mrs. Weasley would pop in from time to time, but she kept herself busy with household chores.

As the morning wore on, the boys and Ginny came in from their Quidditch game, sweaty and smiling, and ran up to fight for the shower.

A door slammed upstairs and Sirius came dragging down, looking stormy.

"What's your problem?" Maddie asked as she took a sip of coffee.

"Oh, let's think. How about the fact that instead of being out there," he said, pointing at random, "doing something with the Order, I am instead stuck here. Babysitting."

He said the last word so condescendingly that Maddie felt her hackles rise.

"Why don't you try going for a walk or something?" she asked, trying to keep her tone pleasant.

"Madelyn," he said slowly (making her even more angry), "I have done nothing for the past two weeks but go for walks, and play games, and talk about ideas for novelties. I am ready to do something a little more beneficial to the cause."

Maddie sat her cup down and stood, smiling with a predatory gleam as she asked Sirius to join her for a talk outside.

The second they were outside the fence, she whirled on him and pointed her finger.

"If you could pull your head out of your ass for two seconds and maybe stop sulking, you'd notice that taking walks, and playing games, and talking about novelties _is _beneficial. Do you have any idea how many people are going to die before Voldemort is stopped? Those kids," she pointed to the house, "and their parents could be torn to pieces."

She paced in front of him, a sure sign of agitation.

"And the wonderful thing, the cherry on top of the sundae, is that no one knows when the new war will start. It's a waiting game, Sirius. Every day, we sit and we wait, wondering if today will be the day he makes his move. So yeah. Walking, and playing, and making idle conversation is beneficial, because it makes us feel like we have at least a sliver of control over our lives."

From the window in the kitchen Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Ginny all watched with keen interest as the scene unfolded. Maddie paced and pointed and waved her arms, then stood by while Sirius shouted and pointed. Hermione bit her lip as Maddie stood toe to toe with Sirius, both of their mouths moving, obviously shouting over each other.

"Those two fight like cats and dogs," Ron said.

"All they need is a good night's fu—" Fred grunted when Ginny rammed her elbow into his stomach as Mrs. Weasley came into the kitchen.

"What's going on?" she asked in alarm as the kids tried to look inconspicuous.

There were two blinks of light from outside, drawing everyone's attention, as Maddie and Sirius transfigured.

Molly sighed and swung the kitchen door open. "Stop it right now, the both of you!"

She glared death at Ron, who picked that moment to laugh.

"Heh…cats and dogs."

"Very good, Ronald," Hermione hissed, rolling her eyes.

Molly turned back to the cat and dog who were now circling each other.

"I mean it, you two! If either of you get hurt it'll be on your heads. I'm not going to heal anything. Everyone's tempers are running a bit high. Why can't you act like civilized—oh!"

Her reprimand ended in a gasp as Padfoot snapped at the Maddie-cat. The little cat hunkered down and sprang with a shriek, landing on Padfoot's snoot and digging in her claws.

Padfoot yipped in surprise and shook his head, trying to dislodge the angry feline. Maddie was shaken loose and tossed aside, but immediately regained her feet and lunged again. Padfoot blocked and rolled the cat, crouching on top of her. The cat batted at his nose and bit at his neck, kicking her back feet against his chest. Finally she tired and stilled.

Padfoot got up and left the cat alone, trotting through the gate and changing back into a human. Maddie came behind him, dusting off her tank top and limping.

Molly stood with her arms crossed over her chest, looking stern, as the two of them trudged into the kitchen. The children had wisely disbursed.

"I presume that got everything sorted out then," Molly said curtly. She pointed a finger at both of them. "Now look, I don't know what sort of things were said out there, but we've got enough to worry about without fighting amongst ourselves. Maddie, I've known you since you were small, and I've watched you grow up, so I know you've a good brain somewhere in that head of yours. Start using it."

Maddie had the decency to look contrite as she muttered a quiet "Yes, ma'am.," and left the room.

"And you," Molly said, looking at Sirius.

"Don't think to scold me, Molly. I'm every bit as adult as you are," Sirius said hollowly.

"Then act like it. Stop sulking like a spoiled child. Merlin's knees, you're _both_ adults! The tension between the two of you is so thick I can cut it with a knife. Take the girl and…do…" she waved her hands, "adultly things!"

With a blush and a huff, she picked up the laundry basket and left Sirius in the kitchen staring after her. He went upstairs, softly knocking on the bathroom door when George told him Ginny was tending to Maddie.

"…utter bollucks, if you ask me. Like he's so high and mighty. It isn't as if we aren't all going mad cooped up here instead of doing—"

Ginny's tirade halted as Sirius cleared his throat. The young girl's eyes narrowed as she pinned him with a glare that would have done her mother proud. Sirius held out his hand for whatever she had been dabbing on Maddie's ribs and jerked his head to the side, ignoring her tisk of annoyance as she brushed past him.

Maddie turned to him, lowering her tank top and crossing her arms. She looked sheepish and her cheeks stained with a blush as she caught a glimpse of his face.

"I'm sorry about the…" She circled her face with her finger and picked up a vial of ointment.

Sirius looked into the vanity mirror and grimaced. There were scratches down both cheeks and a rather deep cut on the side of his nose. His neck was bleeding from the tiny punctures there, and there were red welts disappearing beneath the collar of his shirt.

He shrugged, turning back to Maddie. "I'll live," he said simply. "Here, let me."

"It's fine," Maddie insisted.

"No it isn't. She needs that salve," Ginny murmured from the hallway. Sirius kicked the door shut.

Maddie rolled her eyes and sighed, gently lifting the hem of her top to expose her ribs.

Sirius winced as he saw that her flesh was already turning a nasty blue in some places.

"Nothing's broken, just a bit bruised," Maddie assured him.

"A bit?" he muttered. Dabbing a swab into the salve, he stepped toward her. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," Maddie said, hissing as he touched her ribs. His touch was gentle as he tended her, but regardless of that, the bruises throbbed. But thanks to Ginny and her salve, they would be gone within the hour.

When he had finished, she made him sit on the sink and cleaned his scratches.

"Ow! Bloody hell!" he said, wincing as Maddie rubbed ointment over the cut on his nose. "Remind me never to tangle with a cat again."

She grinned and smoothed the thick cream onto the deepest scratch on his neck. He flinched and instinctively she blew on the medicine, soothing the sting.

Sirius closed his eyes and Maddie stopped and looked at him.

"We make some pair, don't we?" she asked quietly as she recapped the vial and straightened.

Sirius looked at her but remained silent.

"You know," she whispered with a smile. "One thing I've noticed, Sirius, is that we get along fine when we don't talk to each other. When we do talk, we fight. And…and I love you too much to keep fighting with you," she said quickly.

Sirius opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again when nothing came out. "Maddie…"

She gave him a dazzling smile and shook her head.

"You don't have to say anything. I know it makes you uncomfortable, but I just figured I should go ahead and say it. Who knows what'll happen in the near future, and besides, maybe now that I've voiced it I can actually start moving on."

Sirius felt his insides chill at the thought of Maddie being in love with someone else. He wouldn't be with her, even if it was what she wanted, but he hated the thought of her in another man's arms.

He was a selfish bastard, alright.

Maddie told him she was going to help Molly and left him to his thoughts. He wasn't sure how long he sat on the bathroom sink, but he was forced to move when Ron began pounding on the door, demanding he vacate.

Sirius went downstairs and strolled through the gardens. As dusk approached, he stretched out on the grass on top of a hill and stared at the sky, lost in his own confusion.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks for sticking with me. Y'all are great.  
Ah, enough with the sentimental mushiness. On to the story! (where there's Sirius-related mushiness. lol)**

CHAPTER 6

The next few days passed without incident. Then, one morning while Molly and Maddie were making breakfast, there was a loud crack from beyond the gate and Remus came to the back door.

Molly promptly ushered him inside and sat him at the table before going to the foot of the stairs and yelling for the kids to come to breakfast.

"We've been practically starving for news," Ginny said as she snitched a piece of bacon from the plate on the stove, dodging her mother's swatting hand with expert grace.

"I'm sorry it's been so long. There's been a lot going on," Remus explained. He looked at Sirius, his eyes grave, before turning his attention to Maddie.

"Sit down, Madelyn," he said. "Molly, would you mind?" He angled his head toward the teenagers.

"Alright, you five. Out," Molly said anxiously.

"Hey! I'm hungry," Ron protested.

"You can eat later, Ron," Hermione said, dragging him from the kitchen with a worried look at Lupin.

Fred and George muttered indignantly but were content to return to their room to work on their diabolical innovations. Ginny left the kitchen without a fuss, intent on returning to her warm bed.

When only Remus, Sirius, Molly, and Maddie remained in the kitchen, Remus stood and cleared his throat.

"There have been an escalated number of Death Eater attacks over the past couple of days," he began. "All have been on the families of deceased members of the Order of the Phoenix."

"Dear Lord," Molly breathed. "Who?"

"So far, Benjy Fenwick's two sons and their families, as well as Emily Meadowes, Dorcas's sister."

"They'll be coming for me," Maddie said with quiet resignation. "Oh, God, Sirius!" she said, gripping his arm suddenly. "What if they go to the house? Leah is there!" She looked at Remus. "I have to go. She needs to be warned!"

Remus looked away from her pleading eyes and glanced at Sirius, who looked grim as he absentmindedly rubbed the pad of his thumb over Maddie's knuckles.

Remus met Maddie's gaze once more and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Maddie. It's too late for that. They got to her two nights ago."

"W-what?" she squeaked. She brought her hand to her lips and shook her head. "No," she whispered. "Oh…please no."

Sirius drew her against him and she gripped the front of his shirt, staring blankly and letting fat tears roll unchecked down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry," Remus said. He looked over at Molly, then to Sirius and inclined his head toward the door.

Sirius nodded and kissed Maddie's hair before ushering her into Molly's arms. She cried as Molly stroked her hair and murmured comforting words into her ear. The sounds of her sobs splintered his heart.

He shut the door softly and went down the garden path with Remus until they were far enough away that they could not be overheard.

"Who was it, Remus?" Sirius asked. "I want their heads."

"It's taken care of," Remus said, trying to calm his friend.

There was a cold savagery to Sirius which he had never before seen in the other man. It wasn't like the animalistic madness that had overcome him when he was being taken to Azkaban. This was quiet. Composed.

_Deadly._

"Tell me everything," Sirius said.

"There was an employee at the restaurant. Some man. He was close to Maddie—"

"Dave?" Sirius asked.

"Sachi? Yeah, I think so. You saw him?"

Sirius gave a curt nod. "Go on."

"Sachi wasn't a wizard, but he was working for the Death Eaters."

"Imperioused?"

Remus shook his head. "No, it was voluntary. Kingsley managed to get that information out of the Muggle before he died. He wanted power, plain and simple. The Death Eaters came to the restaurant but when he couldn't produce Maddie, they tortured him and set the place on fire. There was nothing left. They then went to her home. Her friend, Leah, let them in, thinking they were friends of Maddie's. When they realized Madelyn wasn't home and Leah didn't know where she was, they used the Killing Curse on her and left."

Sirius was quiet and absently kicked the toe of his shoe into the loose gravel of the path. At length, he looked at Remus, squinting against the early morning sun.

"She has to go. Out of London. Out of Britain if we can accomplish it," he said.

Remus nodded in agreement. "The others are seeing to the evacuation of the remaining families. Also, I think it would be best if you all returned to Grimmauld Place until we get everything settled out," he said.

Sirius sighed. "Come on. Maddie'll be less inclined to argue with you than with me."

Back inside the house, the teenagers had taken back over the kitchen but sat in uncharacteristic quiet as they ate.

"Why did they kill her friend? She didn't have anything to do with any of this," Hermione said as soon as they were inside.

"Sooner or later, everyone is going to have something to do with this. Death Eaters kill indiscriminately. It's just a matter of time before they start attacking Muggles in the open," Remus said.

"She's upstairs," Ginny said when she noticed Sirius looking for Maddie. "She cried for a few minutes, but she got together quickly. She said she's not big on crying."

He nodded in thanks and winked, offering the girl a smile of truce which she returned. Remus followed him upstairs and stood to the side as he knocked on Maddie's door.

Molly answered it and let them in. Maddie was sitting on a window seat, examining an Every-Flavor Bean to see if she wanted to eat it.

"Maddie, we need to talk," Sirius said.

"You're right," she said, setting the bag of candy aside. "Molly and I were just discussing setting up a dueling practice. While I have mastered my magic, I've never actually battled with it. And I think the practice would be a good way for the kids to burn restless energy as well."

Sirius stepped back and let Remus take the lead, already anticipating the forthcoming argument.

"Molly, Madelyn," Remus said. "We—Sirius and myself—feel it would be best if we all returned to headquarters tonight. Also, we need to discuss the matter of getting you out of London," he said to Maddie.

"I'm not leaving London," she said defiantly. "Everything I have is there."

"Maddie, you are in great danger here. You have to get out of England."

"What?! You're mad if you think for one second that I am just going to run away without a fight. They killed my friend. I'm not just going to run."

Remus ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Stubborn women," he muttered.

Sirius touched Remus's shoulder. "Let me," he said.

Molly and Remus left the room, leaving Sirius to face Maddie. He leaned back against the door, casually crossed his ankles and waited.

"I'm not going," Maddie said, her voice thick with emotion.

"Remus is right, Maddie. It isn't safe for you," Sirius said quietly.

"What about my business?" she said desperately.

Sirius looked away and she nodded. "It's gone too, isn't it?"

She sat on the edge of her bed and stared at the floor. It was Sirius who finally broke the silence.

"We'll get you a ticket to anywhere you want to go," he said, picking at the cuff of his sleeve. "You'll have money to set up and start over."

"I've got nowhere to go, Sirius," she said miserably. "Everything I have, everything I love, is here."

"_Was_ here, Maddie. It's gone now."

"They've taken everything from me," she said swiping irritably at a tear that slipped down her cheek. "Why shouldn't I stay and fight with you?"

"Because," Sirius said, crossing the room and sitting beside her. "You said yourself that you weren't trained to fight."

"You just want me to go because you hate having me here," Maddie accused, hating herself for lashing out with such a childish statement.

"I want you to go so I can focus on my duties to the Order instead of worrying about you," Sirius said, not looking at her. He stood and ambled around the room.

"You're all I think about," he said suddenly, sounding defeated. "Day in and day out. Night after sleepless night." He began to walk toward her slowly, his voice gaining strength with each word.

"Everywhere I turn in this place, there you are. The sound of your voice, your scent…it's maddening. That's why I want you to go," he said. "Because…" He sighed as his fingers brushed her cheek and tilted her head back so he could see her eyes. "Because I love you."

Maddie's mouth fell open. Of all the things for him to say to her, that was not what she had expected. She had been psyching herself up to get into a full blown argument whenever he got around to his high-handed, arrogant dismissal of her.

Leave it to Sirius Black to tell her he loves her in the same sentence he tells her to leave.

The sound of excited whispers from the hallway stopped whatever Maddie had been about to say and drew both of their attention to the door. A fleshy glob was slowly retreating from beneath the crack at the bottom. Sirius took out his wand and without saying a word, pointed it at the door, which flew open and sent Hermione and Ginny tumbling inside.

Sirius crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the two girls, who were flushed red with embarrassment and stuttering their apologies.

"Whenever the two of you are finished eavesdropping on conversations that do not concern you, you might want to go and pack," Sirius said.

The girls nodded and bolted from the room. Sirius looked at Maddie, who was trying unsuccessfully to cover her huge grin with the back of her hand.

"Is something funny?" he asked haughtily, arching a brow.

"No, of course not," Maddie said, still smiling. "Can you do me a favor?"

Sirius shrugged. "I suppose."

"Say it again," Maddie said, standing in front of him and putting her hands on her hips.

"You're sounding rather smug, Madelyn," Sirius said snootily. "We don't have time for this. You need to pack."

"Say it."

His shoulders slumped. "Oh, come on Maddie. What is it with women and their obsession with repeatedly hearing—"

"Say it!" Maddie said, stamping her foot and laughing.

"Alright. I love you, damn it. Can we go pack now?"

Maddie let out a cackle of laughter and launched herself at Sirius. He caught her with a grunt and laughed as she caught his face between her hands and kissed him.

"Make love with me," Maddie said between kisses. "Please, Sirius."

"Don't you think…that would…just…make things…more…difficult?" he managed against her joyous onslaught.

Maddie's tongue brushed his once more and she sighed, breaking the kiss.

"Honestly, you're a prison escapee convicted of mass murder and I'm being hunted by supreme evil. You are staying to stand for what's right and I am being forced to leave to stay alive. How much more difficult can it really get?"

"Good point," Sirius said, pulling her close and kissing her again.

A throat cleared and the two separated, looking at Remus, who stood in the door looking very uncomfortable.

"Whenever you two get packed we'll go," he said before disappearing back downstairs.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Nymphadora Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody were waiting for the troupe when they finally arrived back at Grimmauld Place. There was a noticeably different aura here than the warm, home-like welcome of the Burrow.

"Home sweet home," Sirius mumbled as he stepped into the dark foyer. Maddie rubbed his arm comfortingly.

"Dearborn, glad to see you're still alive," Moody said.

Maddie smiled politely, used to Moody's direct manner. "Thank you, Alastor. I am rather happy about it myself."

Tonks reached out to take a couple of bags from Remus and jerked her head toward the stairs. "C'mon, Maddie. I'll show you your room."

Maddie nodded, picking up her duffle and following the girl upstairs.

"Shut up, you old cow," Tonks muttered as they passed Mrs. Black's screaming portrait. "Here it is," she said, setting the suitcase in the corner of the dusty room.

"Thanks, Dora," Maddie said. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

Tonks nodded, dusting her hands on the back of her jeans.

"Does Remus overcomplicate things? About the two of you, I mean?"

Tonks's mouth opened and closed a few times, reminding Maddie of a fish out of water. She sputtered and straightened her shoulders, only to slump them again when she realized there was no use in denying anything.

"How'd you know we were…"

Maddie smiled softly. "When you took the bags from him, you did this finger thing. You brushed your thumb over his knuckles and he linked his pinkie with yours."

"Oh," Tonks said, coloring slightly.

"No one else noticed," Maddie rushed to assure her.

The relief was evident on the other woman's face. Straightening again, she leaned against the door and crossed her arms over her chest casually.

"Overcomplicate things?" Tonks asked, addressing Maddie's question. "Yeah. He's reluctant, you know? Like, he wants to _be_ with me but he doesn't want to be _with me_."

"What?" Maddie asked, thoroughly confused.

"Ok. He puts it like this: say we're together. I love him, he loves me. There's a lot of passion," Tonks said, pinkening again.

"So let's be optimistic and say we survive this war, first of all. Ok, obstacle one out of the way. We're out doing whatever couples do and things start heating up. All of a sudden, dammit all, the full moon rises and he turns in to a werewolf and rips me to pieces. This is his dramatic forecast, keep in mind," she said with a roll of her eyes. She sighed, and though her tone had been light, Maddie could see that the heaviness of the words taken their toll.

"See? Even if we win, we lose," Tonks said with a shrug. "At least, according to Remus. But what the bleedin' hell does he know? He's a man."

"It's annoying, innit? The way they act as if we should stay home and pace by the fire, wringing our hands while they're out fighting for the world?"

Tonks lifted a brow and grinned. "Weeeell, now."

"I know, right?" Maddie said, crossing her arms.

"Sirius?"

She nodded. "He told me—out of the blue, mind you—that he loves me."

"That's good, then. You've been mad about him since I've been around. Longer, from what Remus says."

"That's what makes it so bloody horrible!" Maddie said. "I've used my whole life being in love with him, even refusing to believe the things people said when he was taken to Azkaban. He, on the other hand, has done nothing but give me grief since he returned to the Order. Then, to top it off, he tells me that I have to leave London—to leave _England_—and ends the sentence in 'Oh, by the way, I love you. Huhyuck.'"

"Ooo…ouch," Tonks said sympathetically. "I heard they're getting you out. It's best, you know."

"I know. But dammit, Dora…"

Tonks nodded silently, letting the sentence drop as Maddie wiped the tears that suddenly sprung to her eyes and made a sound of disgust.

"I was this close," Maddie cried, holding up her forefinger and thumb.

"Use the time you've got, love," Tonks said as she rubbed Maddie's shoulders. "There's no future for any of us. Not right now. Nobody knows when this's all gonna come crashing down."

"Wow," Maddie muttered sarcastically, sniffing loudly. "You should be a crisis counselor."

Tonks laughed softly. "Let me ask _you_ something," she said.

Maddie looked at her, waiting.

"Has Sirius made any comments about the age thing?"

Maddie smiled wryly and nodded. "Oh yeah. It weirds him out for some reason."

"Remus too. I don't get it. You'd think that if we—being sassy young women—are happy to be with cantankerous old men like them then everything would be fine."

They laughed together.

"I'm glad I'm not in this relationship shite by myself," Tonks said on a sigh.

"You will be after I've gone," Maddie said.

"Who knows when that'll be? It could take weeks before they get arrangements made."

--------------------------------------

It was early in the morning when Maddie stirred from sleep to hear Sirius getting ready for bed in the room next door. Arthur Weasley, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and another good chunk of the Order came in when they had time and were tied up in meetings for most of the night.

Remus called him down early when an owl from Dumbledore arrived bearing instructions for Maddie.

"Tonight?" he demanded. "What's Dumbledore thinking? We can't possibly have arrangements made for her by tonight."

"The Dementors are acting outside of Ministry control. They attacked Harry and that cousin of his," Remus said.

Sirius paled and gripped his friend's arm. "He's alright?" he asked anxiously.

"He's fine. He held them off with a patronus. But, because of that, there's a bullshit hearing scheduled and he's been expelled from Hogwart's. It'll be taken care of," Remus assured Sirius before the other man could go into a rage. "Mad-Eye, Kingsley, and some of the others are going into Surrey tonight to bring him here."

Sirius sagged into a nearby chair and pinched the bridge of his nose, attempting to thwart an impending headache.

"You told her you love her?" Remus asked.

Sirius nodded. "Yes."

"And she was happy, yeah?"

Sirius sighed and looked at Remus. "Yeah. Well, you saw her. She was elated. It put her off thinking about having to leave at least."

"You going to do anything about it?" Lupin asked, swirling his brandy.

"Did you?" Sirius countered.

Remus met his gaze steadily. "Yes," he said, surprising his friend. "When I'm with Dora, I forget everything." His eyes grew vague and a small smile played around his lips. "The war, my curse…everything but her. It kills me to be with her, knowing that I'm adding to the danger. But it kills me to be away from her."

"Dora's tough," Sirius said. "She's an Auror, for Merlin's sake."

"And Maddie isn't tough?" Remus asked, letting amusement slip into his voice. "I disagree, mate."

"I don't want to feel like I'm using her," Sirius explained. "To be with her, knowing she'll be sent away. _Tonight,_" he reminded Remus.

"Ok, let me ask you something, then that's the last I'm going to say about it."

Sirius scoffed, obviously doubtful of that statement. "Ok."

"Does she want to be with you?"

"There's no time—"

"Bollucks! You're making excuses. You've got the rest of the day. Sirius, listen to me. Shakespeare, Travalier, Messers…all the great romantics wrote about two things. Unrequited love," Remus said, holding up one hand. "And doomed love. Both suck and usually end in death. But that's the way of romance. That's the way of the great love stories."

"What in the bloody hell are you on about?" Sirius asked. "I'm not in the mood for dramatics, man. Be straight about it."

"Oh, for God's sakes Sirius. Just go make love to the girl and stop being so damned thickheaded," Remus said, hauling his friend bodily from the chair and shoving him out of the office.

---------------

Sirius took some time to shower and change before he found himself at Maddie's door with his hand poised to knock. He took a deep breath, reminded himself that he had survived the First War, Azkaban, and a too-close-for-comfort brush with a Dementor's Kiss. He straightened his shoulders and rapped twice on the door, turning away when it did not immediately open.

Before he had taken two steps, however, the door swung wide and Ginny stood there. She raised her eyebrows at his clothes, raking her eyes up and down his form with far too much appreciation for a girl her age.

Sirius tugged at the cuff of the deep magenta Muggle button down he wore.

"What?" he snapped.

"Nothing," Ginny said quickly. She turned back to the room and jerked her head to the door. "Hey, Mads. We're, uh…gonna go see what the twins are up to."

Hermione appeared in the doorway beside her and froze. "W—You—"

"It isn't as if this is the first time I've ever been presentable," Sirius said irritably as he tucked a strand of hair that had pulled loose from his leather tie back behind his ear.

"Yeah, but damn," Ginny said.

Hermione gave her a quick shove and got her moving down the hallway. She stuttered an apology as she passed Sirius.

"Madelyn?" Sirius said, sticking his head in the door. "Are you busy?"

Obviously he had stumbled upon some female ritual. Maddie was piled on a bed with several stacks of magazines surrounding her. Various photos—moving and still—were cut into piles. The comforter had been stripped from the bed and thrown onto the floor, and was now covered in little jibbles of paper.

"Am I busy? Are you kidding?" she said, tossing a People magazine aside. "I've been looking at eye candy for the past three hours with two teenage girls. I welcome adult company."

"I have to talk to you," Sirius said, shoving aside a stack of photos of professional Quidditch players.

Maddie watched him warily. "What about?"

"Remus will be taking you to King's Cross station tonight. Things are getting hot here, and there is no other option. It has to be tonight."

"Oh." Maddie said. "I hadn't realized it would be so soon," she said, her voice cracking slightly. She shook her head. "But that still leaves today. Tonks and I decided—"

"Tonks?"

"Yes, we had a bit of girl talk yesterday. We decided to live in the moment to the best of our abilities," she said with a resolute nod.

She didn't mention that her abilities of living in the moment sucked, and that she would much rather have a root canal with a screwdriver than be without him.

Somehow she figured that might kill the ambiance she was working on.

"Well…" Sirius began, but stopped, not knowing what to say. He wiped his palms on the knees of his black corduroys and cleared his throat, feeling like a nervous teenager on his first date.

Not that he knew what that felt like, he reminded himself. He had been cocky and sure of everything he did when he was a teenager. That remembrance boosted his morale.

"If you will recall," he said, flicking his eyebrow up. "Yesterday after I said what I said—"

"Ooh. What was that, again? I've slept since then and my memory isn't what it used to be," Maddie said with a tap to her forehead.

"I love you," Sirius deadpanned. Unable to keep a straight face at their teasing banter, he laughed.

"Anyway," he began again. "After I said I loved you, you asked me a question. Do you remember? You know, with your memory not being what it used to be, and all."

Maddie kept her black eyes locked with his and shook her head slowly, a small, wicked grin flirting with her lips. "Sure don't."

"How unfortunate," Sirius whispered as he reached up to play with the charm of her necklace.

"You'll have to remind me what I said," she said, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and leaning closer to him.

"You said," Sirius began, pausing for dramatic effect, "that you wanted to shag me senseless—"

"I did not!" Maddie yelped, slapping his shoulder playfully. Sirius joined her laughter, realizing with sudden astonishment just how long it had been since he laughed freely.

Sirius's hand shot out like lightning and grabbed her wrist, dragging her upper body across his lap. His arm supported her shoulders and he held her close, smiling down into her face. He lowered his mouth temptingly, but remained hovering above her lips, arching back each time she lifted her chin to close the distance.

"Sirius…"

His name was a plea, impatient and needful, but he ignored her desperation. Her eyes narrowed.

"You're going to make me ask again, aren't you?"

His sinful grin was answer enough for her and Maddie let out an exaggerated sigh. "The things I do for you," she said, rolling her eyes.

"We'll get to that," Sirius taunted.

Smiling broadly, Maddie wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and leaned back against his arm.

"Sirius Black. Would you do me the honor of bedding me until I am weak and fully sated?"

His body tightened painfully at her light words, but he laughed. "Bedding you? You read too many medieval romance novels."

She lifted her head to his mouth and he met her halfway, pulling her more snugly against him. Maddie was certain there was more emotion, longing, and love poured into that kiss than anyone could have ever experienced.

Sirius shifted, sitting her up but careful not to break their kiss. He pulled his wand out of his back pocket and pointed it in the direction of the door. Maddie heard the lock click into place before he dropped his wand on the bedside table.

They sat on their knees on the bed, sending stacks of magazines and forgotten photos scattering to the floor. Maddie tugged his shirt from the waistband of his corduroys and set to work on the buttons as he slid his hands down her sides and gripped her waist. She had a moment of self-consciousness as his hands brushed the slight protrusion of flesh over the band of her jeans, but it was beaten aside when he pressed a hand to the small of her back and drew her closer.

Maddie's fingers worked the buttons of his shirt with a capability that surprised her. She slipped her hands beneath the soft material and parted it, sliding it from his shoulders. She leaned back to look at him and her breath caught in her throat. It was the first time she had been able to closely examine the brands and tattoos that marred his flesh.

"Off-putting, aren't they?" Sirius asked. Maddie could hear the self-depreciation in his voice.

She leaned forward without warning, placing a gentle kiss on one of the ridges of the symbol in the middle of his chest.

Sirius felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach. His breath left his lungs in a rush as Maddie's lips closed over his flesh. Her hands rested lightly on his hips, her fingers securing him by hooking through his belt loops. His lips quirked at that.

He lifted his arms to cup her face, but his wrists were still bound by the cuffs of his shirt. Maddie slipped her hand behind his neck and lifted her face to his, offering him her mouth once more. Her free hand gently tugged the tie from his hair and plunged through it, drawing his mouth more firmly against hers.

There was a soft pop-pop sound as Sirius used wandless magic to free his wrists, and his arms came around her.

"Cheater," she smiled against his lips.

"No," he said, pulling back. "This is cheating."

He ran a hand in front of her, his eyes following it down her body as his mouth moved slightly in a silent incantation.

In a flash, Maddie's clothes were gone and she was left in only her underwear. She whispered a silent thank you that she had at least chosen a pair of relatively sexy maroon lace that morning instead of her usual store of comfy cotton Happy Bunny undies.

Her face heated under his hungry gaze. He reached for her and lightly traced the pads of his fingers over her left breast, directly over her heart. He wore the oddest expression, she thought. It was somewhere between joy and sorrow.

Maddie's breath hitched as his fingers trailed down the valley between her breasts and curved back around to her ribs. He pulled her roughly against him, the cords of his pants scouring the sensitive skin of her thighs. She fell into him, letting out a screech of surprise when he lost balance and they tumbled from the bed and onto the discarded comforter.

They laughed as magazines and pictures flew around them, but their laughs soon dissolved into sighs and murmurs of desire.

--

"_Well_,' Maddie said a while later as she struggled to catch her breath. "At least we know of one skill of yours that hasn't been lost with age."

She squealed and laughed as Sirius rolled from the blanket, her fingers flexing on his biceps as her butt was pinned to the floor.

"Good Christ!" Maddie exclaimed, still laughing. "The floor is freaking freezing!"

"I don't know," Sirius said, wriggling on top of her. "It feels rather soft and warm to me."

He leaned down and nuzzled her neck, and Maddie wrapped her arms around his shoulders, languidly trailing a hand over the tattoos of his back.

She had tasted each of his scars, lightly tracing them with the tip of her tongue. He had caressed her curves in adoration, praising her womanly figure.

They had shown each other their love, worshiping one another's bodies with their hands and lips and tongues.

Sirius sighed contentedly as he crushed Maddie into the floor. She moved beneath him and he rolled back onto the blanket, this time drawing her down to rest on his chest.

"Madelyn?"

"Hmm?" she mumbled dreamily.

"Had you ever…" He cleared his throat, searching for an easier way to find whether she had ever been with a man than just blurting the question.

She lifted her head and rested her chin on his chest, smiling playfully. Taking pity on him for the tender worry in his voice, Maddie saved him from his anxiety.

"Not exactly, no," she said, laying her cheek back against the smooth skin above his heart.

"Why not?" he asked, then felt like an idiot.

"Because," Maddie replied, her voice quiet as she started to flirt with sleep. "No one else was you."

Sirius was at a loss for words. He had no quips, no charming comebacks. His throat burned as emotion he didn't know he possessed flooded him.

He rolled onto his side and drew her close, folding the edges of the comforter around them. He pressed a kiss on the top of Maddie's head and she snuggled beneath his chin.

"Sirius?"

"Hm?" he grunted, not trusting the steadiness of his voice.

"When tonight do I have to leave?"

He was quiet and closed his eyes, choosing not to answer her.

"Sirius?"

"Hm?" he grunted again, somewhat sharply.

"I love you."

He held her for a long time, long past when her breathing evened and he knew she was asleep.

When at last he had no choice but to get up and prepare for her to leave, he snuck off the blanket and dressed, lifting her still-sleeping form onto the bed. She murmured in her sleep and curled into the pillow as he pulled a blanket over her. He ran his hand softly over her hair and kissed her at her temple before silently retreating from the room.

-----

**A/N: I realize my visualization of Sirius Black doesn't go hand-in-hand with the book OR the movie in many ways, and I figured I should explain that in case someone was like "that's not right" about some characteristic or other. I still see Gary Oldman (who is a fabulous actor, and a great Sirius Black i.m.o.) but I've got more of a 'Gary Oldman in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' image in my head. I dunno why, but there it is. :-)**

**This was going to be the last chapter, but it was running too long so I decided to break it into two. **


	8. The End and Epilogue

Tonks and Molly helped her pack.

She said her goodbyes to the members of the Order who were there, many of whom had watched her grow up. She hugged Molly, who was the closest to a mother as she had come since her own mother died. Molly cried as she squeezed her and patted her cheek.

She hugged Arthur, then kissed Ron and the twins on their cheeks. Fred wrapped his arms around her and picked her up in a bear hug.

"I'll miss you," he said, uncharacteristically somber.

"You'll miss my food," Maddie said, blinking back tears.

He smiled then, and George leaned against his shoulder. "Aye, that's the truth," they both said.

She hugged Hermione and Ginny, thanking the girls for letting her hang out with them even though she was an old woman.

Maddie picked up her suitcases and followed Remus out of the foyer. The trip to King's Cross Station was virtually silent. Remus attempted a few futile efforts at conversation, but finally gave up. As they pulled into the parking lot, Maddie looked at him.

"Where was he?"

"Sirius never was one for goodbyes. He probably figured that the time the two of you spent together would be a good way to remember him."

They were walking to her platform when she heard Remus sigh. "You're going to be the death of me, Padfoot."

Maddie whirled and saw the shaggy black dog trotting along beside Remus. The man stopped and took her bags, looking around to make sure there were no Muggles watching him. He cast a disillusionment charm over both Madelyn and the black dog.

Maddie shivered as the sensation of being under cold running water trickled over her skin. There was a quick blink of light and Sirius stood before her.

"I love you, Madelyn," Sirius said, swallowing past the lump in his throat. He ran his hand over her hair and brushed her cheek with his thumb. He dipped his head and kissed her, tasting the salt of the tears that slid unnoticed down her cheeks. "I had to tell you again. I had to make sure that you know."

Maddie stepped into him, circling his waist with her arms as she clung to him in a fierce hug. His arms wrapped around her and they stood holding each other in the dark corner of the train station.

"I know, Sirius. I love you. Oh, God, I love you."

"All aboooaaard!"

Maddie cursed as Sirius took her by the shoulders and pried her away.

"Go, Maddie," he said.

A sob, unbidden yet unstoppable, escaped her as she stepped away from him.

"I don't want to go," she whispered pitifully.

Sirius tilted his head to the side and gave an attempt at a smile, but it was counteracted by the tears glistening in his eyes and rolling down his cheeks. He cupped her face and kissed her once more before resting his forehead against hers.

Her body shook as she cried, and he placed a kiss to her forehead. The conductor called again, and Sirius straightened, sniffing and blinking the tears away.

"Just go, baby. I'll be with you soon. Go."

Maddie nodded, picking up her duffle and stepping out of the shadows. She stepped onto the platform of the train and waved to Remus before casting a glance at the corner. It was empty.

She found her compartment and stared inattentively out the window at the train pulled away.

_I'll be with you soon…_

"You are a terrible liar, Sirius Black." She repeated the words she had said to him so many weeks ago.

Maddie closed her eyes against a fresh onslaught of tears.

-------

**EPILOGUE **

She was dreaming.

_There was a long hallway with a door at the end. It was open, and she could see white light on the other side. _

_Sirius kissed her, a quick and playful kiss, and winked. He hooked a finger on the collar of his velvet coat and tossed it over his shoulder. Tucking his other hand in his pocket, he sauntered down the hall, whistling a tune as he went. When he was no more than a black silhouette against the stark whiteness of the illuminated door, he turned and looked back at her. _

_Then he stepped through and was swallowed by light._

Maddie woke covered in sweat. Sounds from the bustling city could already be heard from her Dublin apartment. She got up, unable to shake the cold left from whatever nightmare she had just had. She didn't remember any details, only that it left her with a feeling of sorrow that she did not understand.

She settled in at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and waited for the morning paper. A few moments later there was a tap at the window and she retrieved the London Daily Prophet from the sill.

Maddie's coffee cup crashed to the floor and shattered, but she paid no attention.

**HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED RETURNS**

The headline screamed at Maddie from the front page of the Prophet. She read the article about a fight in the Department of Mysteries. Several Death Eaters had been captured and arrested and there had been one fatality.

Her stomach felt like a ton of gravel as she slumped against her counter. She picked up a pen and with a shaky hand wrote a letter to Number 12 Grimmauld Place, asking for news, explaining that she read about the fight at the Ministry.

She did not sleep that day or that night. The next afternoon, an owl tinked at the window and she withdrew the reply from its beak.

She crumpled the letter and she sank to the floor as she read the one line Remus had written.

_He has fallen beyond the Veil._

Sirius Black...was dead.

-----

**A/N: So I'm not 100 percent satisfied with that epilogue ending. It lacks the dynamic I was looking for, but I guess it will work. **

**I would like to thank everyone who took time to read this. I know it is kinda quick from beginning to end, but hopefully you enjoyed it. :-)**


End file.
